An international team of regulation and safety experts praised Italy's commitment to nuclear regulatory oversight, but urged the country to develop policies related to safety, decommissioning and radioactive waste management.
The team comprised of 14 experts from Sweden, France, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Slovenia, Cuba, Luxembourg, Spain and Hungary, plus four International Atomic Energy Agency staff members, spent 12 days in Italy in a mission hosted by the government and the Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, which regulates Italy's nine nuclear reactors.
Italy has four reactors that are currently being decommissioned and five research reactors. In addition, the government has plans to construct a facility that will handle low and intermediate level radioactive waste and provide for long-term storage of high level waste.
The IAEA team found “strong leadership … and a very committed staff,” of Italian regulators, said the team's leader Ingemar Lund, who serves as the senior adviser of the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.
Italy currently has a “framework for safety in place and … several good practices,” the IAEA said. It also has a new regulatory system, called the Inspectorate for Radiation Safety and Radiation Protection,” that is expected to be up and running in the “near future.”
Challenges for the country include “insufficient resources for the regulatory body to perform its function and the need to implement strategies and plans for decommissioning and building a disposal facility,” the IAEA said.
Among good practices, the team reported the country “state of the art” standards for decommissioning and waste management, a comprehensive data base “and related tools” regarding transportation safety and a solid system for educating qualified experts in the field of radiation safety.
The team recommended Italy develop policies for safety, decommissioning and waste management, complete a legal framework for approval of technical services and establishment of a data base related to the authorization process. Further, additional staff was recommended to carry out regulatory responsibilities. Communication strategies could be improved and regulators in the country should “strengthen the regulatory framework for review and assessment, authorization, inspection, emergency preparedness and response and occupational and public exposure control,” the team said.
A complete report will be released in five months, the IAEA said.